Snowbirds are in our sights

Sunday, January 15, 2006Pansy Glenn, CVB director

The Sikeston-Miner Convention and Visitors Bureau is gearing up for travel. We are getting all the banners, informational packets and advertising promotional items together to take with us when we head south to the 12th annual Snowbird Extravaganza on Jan. 16.

This event hosts one of the largest gatherings of "snowbirds" available. Of course it would, it's held in Lakeland, Fla., which is known as a "nesting area" for these winter residents.

Medipac International Inc. has made the promotion and publicity their top priority, thus making the Extravaganza a renowned event throughout North America. Through extensive TV, radio and print promotion the show receives abundant media coverage. They mail personal invitations to tens of thousands of attendees from the previous year's event as well as to the 100,000-plus Canadian Snowbird Association members at their winter residences.

Also they feature first-class entertainers and speakers for their attendees. Therefore, promising our booth will be featured to thousands of potential customers.

The attendee statistics indicate that they spend an average of five days migrating to and from their winter residences (83 percent by automobile). How fortunate for us since we have such a prominent location on two of their main corridors, interstates 55 and 57.

We will have the opportunity to visit individually with these snowbirds and route their trips. We will do this with a laminated map of the southern half of the U.S. showing all major interstates and highways. This will allow us to find their winter residences and map them to their destinations via Sikeston and Miner.

By targeting this market we will be able to attract more overnight travelers which will enhance the economic impact of our area. If I don't show up for next month's column, you'll know I've decided to join them.